So, how are the bunnies...? There personalities are shining through now, and there is no doubt now who is the brains and who is the brawn. It should be no surprise that Mabel is the brains, and Dijon is the drawn.

For weeks Dijon has been desperate to be groomed by Mabel, and has grown terribly frustrated when she pays him no attention. He has taken to throwing himself under her forelimbs at every opportunity, only to have her wither step nonchalantly over him, and completely ignore his advances, or start to hump his head, depending on her mood.

Earlier this week she began to acquiesce to his demands, and he seems a little more content. He has also finally realised that he can come to us at any time for a stroke, and he is beginning to do so. However, Mabel really does not like him having this attention. She has a variety of means by which to disrupt his cuddles...

First, she will hop over and attack that hand that is stroking her brother. It's a growl and a lunge. Once the hand has recoiled, she often settles nose-to-nose with Dijon and joins in the cuddles. Other times she will start racing around the room which is guaranteed to cause Dijon to stand up and dimly wonder what on earth is going on. Sometimes she will jump noisily into their cage which results in Dijon following her.

Mabel is not quite the cuddle-monster that her brother is. She tries to avoid being touched as there are too many other things to do, Mabel is scheming...

She has worked out how the barrier works. A couple of weeks ago she decoded it, and found a way to consistently escape. Dijon's face was one of utter bemusement when he saw her on one side of the barrier, and couldn't join her. Anyway, she knows every weakness in the barrier, and does everything she can to sneak through.

The daily routine goes something like this...
  • First person down in the morning must give the bunnies a smattering of Burgess.
  • At breakfast, they eat in their cage, with the door open, and are allowed out for about 40 minutes.
  • After the children have been dropped off at school, the bunnies come out for between 30 minutes and 2 hours.
  • At lunch they are allowed out for another 30 minutes.
  • They eat tea in their cage, and are occasionally allowed out for 20 minutes or so in the early evening.
  • At night they will come out for about 30 to 45 minutes.
  • At bedtime they must be given a little snack. the moment anyone stands up in the living room after about 10pm, the bunnies will come running to the front of the cage, standing on their hind legs, looking expectantly at whoever is standing.
The bunnies go back home with no problems. We just have to ring the bells in the cage, and back they go. A smattering of food in the bowl also works, but the bells mean it's time for the door to be closed.

Sorting through photos today, so they will be uploaded very shortly.